Denmark is planning to cull its entire mink population, totaling 15 million, after humans got infected by a coronavirus mutation spread by them. The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed a press on Wednesday and said that the mutated virus may spread to other countries and it “may pose a risk to the effectiveness of a future vaccine.”
She said, “We have a great responsibility towards our own population, but with the mutation that has now been found, we have an even greater responsibility for the rest of the world as well.”
Six people, who worked in mink farms, have been infected with the mutated virus. The Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said that half of the 783 human Covid-19 cases in the northern part of the country “are related to mink.”
Despite repeated efforts to cull minks from June, outbreaks at mink farms have continued. Infections have also been detected at Netherlands, Spain and Utah, in the United States. The virus targeted older animals while younger minks remain relatively safe.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture over 50 animals including a tiger, a lion, several cats, dogs and minks have been infected with the coronavirus, after close contact with infected humans.
